Jimmy Anderson believes he can become the world’s No 1 Test bowler once more and, to make this goal a reality, now plans to study how other elite athletes prolong their careers.
Aged 37 and the most successful seamer in Test history, Anderson could be forgiven for feeling he has no more mountains to climb after the calf injury that flared up on the opening morning at Edgbaston and wrecked his involvement in the Ashes series this summer.
But such thoughts appear far from his mind with the winter tours to New Zealand and South Africa looming.
And while fitness has scarcely been an issue before – his 575 Test victims owe as much to his longevity as his unquestionable skill – Anderson will double down in this department.
“I’m going to try and investigate every possible avenue of what I need to do at my age to keep myself in good shape,” said Anderson, who topped the Test bowling rankings as recently as December last year.
“I feel as fit as I ever have. It’s just the calf keeps twanging. I’ll look at how other sports people keep going into their late 30s. Whether there’s anything specific I can do: diet, gym programme, supplements, whatever it might be.
“I still feel like I can perform at this level. I still feel like I can be the best bowler in the world. So as long as I’ve got that mentality I’m going to keep pushing myself.”
The 42-year-old NFL great Tom Brady, who plays for the New England Patriots, and Ryan Giggs, who played for Manchester United until he was 40, are two careers that Anderson intends to investigate, while a vegan diet is something else he has considered. One thing on which he will not compromise, however, is performance.
Speaking at an event for Specsavers, he said: “I’m realistic. If I’m not good enough and I’m detracting from the team, I’m too slow or whatever, then I’m not going to embarrass myself or drag the team down. I’ll only keep playing if I think I can be one of the best in the world and if I think I can help this team win Tests.”
Anderson blames time pressure for preventing a return in the fourth Test of this Ashes series – he bowled 20 overs in a second XI match a fortnight ago, only for the problem to resurface – and has cut a frustrated onlooker as Joe Root’s England side failed to regain the urn. The 2-1 scoreline for the tourists was secured at Old Trafford, the ground that bears his name at one end, but despite Lancashire trumpeting £8m in revenue after selling 115,000 tickets over five days, Anderson has aired concerns over the surface prepared this summer.
“If we’re being brutally honest, I think they’ve suited Australia more than us. I would have liked to have seen a bit more grass but that’s the nature of the game here. When you’re selling out – like Lancashire – it’s hard not to produce a flat deck but that’s one of the frustrations from a player’s point of view.
“We go to Australia and get pitches that suit them. They come over here and get pitches that suit them. It doesn’t seem quite right. I thought they were good pitches here against India last summer – they weren’t green seamers but I thought they suited us more than India.
“We as a country or a cricket board don’t use home advantage enough. As I said when you go to Australia, go to India, Sri Lanka, they prepare pitches that suit them. I feel like we could just be a little bit more biased towards our own team.”
Such talk should not detract from Australia’s efforts this summer, having arrived with a clear gameplan built on a well-stocked and well-rotated seam attack bowling tight lines and a batting unit that has done just enough to dovetail the genius of Steve Smith from No 4.
Their celebrations after the 185‑run win in Manchester caught the attention – Smith batting left-handed in glasses that evening was taken to be a dig at England’s Jack Leach in some quarters – but Justin Langer, their head coach, insists it is not mission accomplished until they complete the series win.
On the criticism of Smith’s impersonation, Langer said: “When you’re doing well people try and pick holes. I was there, I know the truth, they were talking about Chris Rogers [Australia’s bespectacled former opener]. He was here four years ago and is a great mate of the squad.”